Advantages

Disadvantages

Agent 47 returns with new contracts and his network crumbling around him.Will he survive...

2006 and the third and final Hitman game for the then current generation of consoles, PS2 and X-box. This was also the last Hitman game for six years, until Absolution came out. With Blood Money, Square Enix brings us right back to Agent 47 and right back to his day job, assassin for hire. Believe me, a profession that will never run dry. As this game shows, you get paid to do the jobs, but only ever in Blood Money...

Story: Starting with flashbacks to an old abandoned amusement park. A horrible accident due too poor maintenance of a ferris wheel kills many people. One of the parents of a child killed there calls the agency and orders a hit on the amusement parks owner who was originally cleared of all charges. There is only one main for the job, Agent 47. As he successfully fulfils the contract, more people become interested in his work and more clients have work for him to do.

Through flashbacks throughout the game, the story pans out as the Agency starts to crumble from attack after attack by a rival agency called 'The Franchise'. Soon there is only Agent 47 and his handler, Diane Burnwood left. But who can he trust and who will survive in the battle to stay alive.

Visuals: Another two years on from the previous Hitman game and just as beautiful as ever. The somewhat magical opening title sequence, enchants you into a very dark world. But yet, shows the innocent side to the game via nature and the beauty of the world. I suppose, in the opening video alone, they show you how the two worlds collide in a visually appeasing stunning way. In fact, all of the videos that link between the missions are like there only little movies with the effort Square Enix have put in to them. To the missions, with characters looking more refined and life like. The environments and buildings upgraded substantially, including the addition of quite an amazing level taking part during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Now on this level you literally are having to push yourself through the swarm of the hundreds of people lining the streets so you can complete the job. With the carnival atmosphere, music blaring, drinks flowing and confetti flying through the sky, it really does set an amazing backdrop to a deadly job. With every game in the Hitman series, graphics will obviously get better with time and technology. However, Square Enix really do have a knack for creating something special with the graphics.

Audio: Going back to the opening title sequence video I mentioned in the visual category. As amazing as this video is visually, without the music that was created for this sequence, it would really be pale in comparison. However, the haunting vocals over the classical created track, will leave you stunned and amazed at the beauty of it. I mean this is just literally after turning on and loading up the game and you haven't played anything yet. It truly blows you away by the sheer charm and grace. I'm reviewing a stealth killer video game and talking about charm and grace! But I'm not joking in the slightest. As this Hitman game soundtrack was yet again composed by Jesper Kyd. Another Hitman game and another Hitman soundtrack but Jesper Kyd moves with the times on every occasion. He follows the games mood, storyline and emotion to create a unique and beautiful piece of music for every level, for every moment and every scene. I would go as far to say that for the brilliance of this game and story, there are many occasions where if it for not for his enchanting music, I highly doubt it would have had such an impact on me as it has done playing the Hitman series of games.

Gameplay: If you have read my previous Hitman reviews, you probably know where I'm going with this! With more clients looking for a top class hitman, Agent 47 is high in demand and has many contracts to fullfill. With each level, a new set of objectives to complete and people to assassinate. So what is new in this Hitman game compare to the previous ones?! Quite a lot actually as the improvements of previous gameplay and brand new added weapons, ability to do new actions and a lot more!

Starting with weapons and an overhaul on them now means you are able to upgrade certain weapons with the money you earn from each contract to complete. Adding silencers, laser sighting and holding extra ammo adds up to one majorly improved weapon. You can also upgrade bombs, armour and other more minor items you can carry. Just like previously, you pick up weapons during the levels to add them to your inventory and make them available to use in all future missions. There are new improvised weapons in Blood Money which can be used to take down your targets or anyone that gets in your way. For example, a nail gun, fire extinguisher, hedge cutters and screwdrivers. You really do have lots of choice when it comes to what weapon to use now.

However, if you don't wish to use a weapon to complete the objective, you can set it up like the death was an accident. This was added to the previous game in some small capacity in a couple of levels but has now been radically improved and made available for use in each level. From rigging a grill to make it explode when turned on, to pushing people of balconies, it isn't always about the weapons remember!

Depending on which way you wish to play will help you decide on how you want to complete the objectives. If you want to go the stealth route and become a silent assassin, the new accident kills really help you succeed in reaching that rank. There is a new system in place which informs you of how well you are doing called the 'Notoriety system'. It does work in a similar way to the previous suspicion bar but is more advanced and more realistic. Your notoriety will rise if caught killing someone, with a dead body or if you are caught on CCTV during the level. If you are caught on CCTV, you can simply just find the CCTV tapes in the level and steal them without anyone noticing which will automatically lower your notoriety level. The higher your notoriety level, the higher the chance non playable characters will see straight through your disguise and your cover is blown.

Another advance in this game is the fact that the way you play the early missions will affect the later missions in the game. If you have a high notoriety rating in the beginning, it makes the later missions harder for you to complete due too people knowing what you did in the early missions. So get the job done quietly and become the silent assassin you are set out to be! You are now able to hide bodies or unconscious people in containers, which means there a lot less likely to be found and will not affect your notoriety ranking like in previous games. If you hide the bodies in a container and shut the lid, no non playable characters will ever look inside them and so the bodies/people will never been found. Killing people in lifts has been added, where you have climbed through the hatch and are waiting for your target. You are able to physically pull them through the lift hatch and lust hiding them from sight. Getting up close and personal will cause your violence level to rise and affect your overall mission ratings. However, you can use your syringe to knock them out or you can take them as a human shield and then knock them out with your weapon, which will not affect the violence rating.

Another new addition is added at the end of the mission. You are shown a newspaper front page on the screen detailing the death or murder of the person you have just killed. It goes into details about if and how many bullets were found, how many people have died or been killed and depending how well you took the stealth path, describes either a bald man or simply a ghost as no one had seen you. Witnesses are mentioned as well if you don't play cleanly and make the perfect run. This is now the report scene and goes into detail on how you did and how well you completed the level. If you did it perfectly and reached the silent assassin rank, it will inform you in the newspaper headline and you will be rewarded with bonus payments for reaching that rank. However, if you get seen or witnessed, you will miss out on bonuses and if you keep getting witnessed, the front page will have a sketch of your face which will grow with more detail each mission and therefore affect your notoriety. The newspaper is a great idea and you can look at the rest of the front page in detail as you never know what information it holds will help you in the future!

Disguises are just as important as ever before to get the perfect hit! New levels and brand new range of disguises. From garbage man, therapist, pool boy, guard, FBI suit, bird costume, clown and even a Santa outfit. There is vast choice to utilise and a number of them to use from on each level. With each disguise on each level, remember they can only go in certain areas and carry certain items. You can't walk around with a weapon whilst dressed as a garbage man, nor walk around with a different weapon to what all the other guards are carrying.

Controls have markedly improved, especially the close combat which wasn't up to scratch in previous games and something I hardly used due too the poor quality. However the major overhaul, including the ability to take non playable characters as hostage and act as a human shield for you, really opens up another avenue for the player to get the job done. The added ability to throw melee weapons is also a great improvement and the tutorial, which is the first level, will explain everything perfectly as well as all the other improvements. The action of being able to throw melee weapons and items means you are able to distract guards and non playable characters and clearing your path. For example you can throw a coin near some guards and they will leave there post and investigate meaning you can sneak by without any trouble. You still can use various methods through the level to get guards out the area as well. Like cutting power or setting off alarms and in a later level, where one of the targets has a dog which barks every time you approach and therefore blows your chance of the hit, you can find a sausage on the level and throw it to the dog, leaving the dog occupied and the target a lot easier to get too. Not forgetting still having the ability to poison food and drink. You really have so much choice that one play through is never enough.

Conclusion: So this is my fourth Hitman game review overall and my last until (hopefully) a new game in the series appears. I really hope my reviews give this game series the justice it deserves as it is a remarkable series that I will never get old or sick off. I think you can tell how much I love Hitman and everything to do with it. The whole experience throughout the series, including in this game the just as beautiful soundtrack, great storyline that really does leave you at the end going wow and then little bit of what the hell just happened?! But that makes this game and series so mesmerising, you really don't have a clue what is going to happen and come up in the next mission or what the story entails. The Hitman series is without a doubt the series I have spent the most time playing easily. I wouldn't have a clue on a number of hours but we are talking months if not years of hours played and replayed. It never gets old for me and feels just as fresh all those years back when I first played it. If you want a game series that is different to today's more simple point and shoot first person shooters. If you want a game series to excite you and have you absorbed from the very beginning and through another 3 games. If you want a games series that visually is beautiful and well, with truly an indescribably brilliant soundtrack. Buy the Hitman series and become Agent 47. Follow his journey and witness this masterpiece of a series, the Agency is calling you...

Blood Money, Contracts and Silent Assassin are now part of a trilogy pack remastered in HD for both the PS3 and X-box 360. I have only played the PS2 version but for these three amazing games in one game pack, remastered in beautiful HD and currently (as of July 22nd 2013) priced at £13.98 at Amazon, it's an offer you can't refuse to get into this superb game series.

Advantages

Disadvantages

47's fourth adventure

If you trawl through my reviews, you'll find reviews on 'Hitman: Silent Assassin' and 'Hitman: Contracts'; 'Hitman: Blood Money' is the fourth in the series, the third of the console games. With the recent release of the fifth: 'Hitman: Absolution', I thought I'd backtrack slightly and fill in the gap.

Released in 2006, 'Hitman: Blood Money' (HBM) features Agent 47 as protagonist once again. A sharp, professional, bald-headed clone assassin, 47 is ordered by The Agency to take out various targets. HBM brings 47 to the States, where he undergoes a series of missions which are presented as flashbacks in a present-day story: retired FBI director "Jack" Alexander Leland Cayne is being interviewed by a reporter named Rick Henderson. As the two discuss 47 and whether not he is actually real, we play out missions to which they refer, leading up to the true reason for the interview: the White House assassination. As the plot unfolds, Cayne claims to have actually captured the elusive hitman of whom they speak, and promises to prove it.

With HBM, Danish video game developers IO Interactive (now part of Square Enix) up their game, so to speak. Building on Hitman: Contracts (HC) from two years previous, there is a new energy present, with better graphics, a stronger story, more exotic locale and plenty of new features. The game's concept is dominated by an open map with many hidden opportunities ready to be unveiled and pursued to complete missions. Introduced in the second game, 'Hitman: Silent Assassin' (HSA), the true purpose of the game, although certainly not mandatory, is to achieve a 'Silent Assassin' rating, which is chiefly obtained by completing a 'hit' without being discovered - in my opinion, it's the true art of the game, and allows for great replay value. To pursue the game like so, however, one needs to be prepared for a lot of trial and error, and patience. All of that said, you could just run in guns blazing and be done with it; it's completely up to you.

'Replay value' is something I really look for in a game; I'm not an avid gamer and I don't buy many, so I like my games to be powerful enough to cause me to return to them later on. The Hitman series have always done just that, and I often do return to the aforementioned games. It is chiefly the large maps that allow for this to be the case. The developers produce very detailed environments that offer a lot of ways for you to carry out the mission at hand, and there are always a myriad of ways for you to go about completing the levels. The game's difficulty depends entirely on how you choose to play it. If you do take the stealthy approach, I find it to be far more rewarding, interesting and challenging. In the case of HBM, it IS possible to obtain a 'Silent Assassin' rating, but it's not exactly easy. When taking this approach, patience is required in that one needs to learn the map and people within the map's behaviour; only in understanding these elements can one complete the mission stealthily and perfectly. The process of reaching this ultimate understanding for all of the missions takes hours of gameplay, and even when you've mastered the game, you'll want to keep playing it - and even trying to complete the game taking different approaches, and challenging yourself in various ways.

HBM presents new features. Firstly, the opportunity to customise and upgrade 47's arsenal and inventory is back, having last been seen in the first game 'Hitman: Codename 47' (2000) - but it is much improved. Secondly, there are added obstacles such as video cameras (which may prevent you from obtaining that 'Silent Assassin' rating), notoriety (a nice but underdeveloped feature that adds an interesting level across your campaign) and NPC (non-player characters) human shields. But the classic features remain, too, such as the interactive map that displays the entire area and people present within it (the detail of which depends on your difficulty setting), the exciting locale, the disguises, the suit, the fibre wire and the general free structure. That said, what I like most about the games across the series up to this point, is how different each game is. While unifying features, like those just mentioned, remain, the developers completely review the style to provide players with a completely new experience. In comparison to the games before it, HBM is brighter and more fun, yet debatably more violent. While HC was quite grey and moody due to 47's state and psyche, HBM, despite only being set in the US (save two missions), the variety presented in mission locale certainly boosts the game's appeal. And this highlighted by the ever-changing style of soundtrack composer Jesper Kyd. His work is sublime, and the way in which HSA features a Russian Classical orchestral approach, HC a penetrative electronica approach and HBM a mix of the two (to understate it) displays his sheer diversity. Putting the fact that I am a film/TV/game music buff to one side, I feel that his work really defines the games, and without it, the games would be far less poignant. HBM's soundtrack in particular is fantastic and possesses character to such a level which I feel no other video game composer has ever come close to.

Each mission is very different. While in HSA, for instance, the player would be required to play a number of consecutive missions in one location (for example there are five missions set in St. Petersburg in snowy Russia), HBM provides completely different environments for every level, whereby even two missions set in Mississippi are divorced from one another. That said, HSA does contain around 8 or 9 more missions to play. And there is a lack of repetition across HBM's levels, in that it's not a case of once you've cracked how to do one mission, the rest will be a walk in the park. On first play, each mission is an enigma, presenting a number of openings, followed by numerous ways to approach and then execute each objective, ultimately amounting to millions of possibilities of how to complete a level. In one mission, for instance, 'A New Life', set on a beautiful, sunny suburban street reminiscent of Desperate Housewives's Wisteria Lane, you can either enter the target's house via two back entrances, (one of which requires you to remove a video camera tape, the other of which requires you to sedate a dog first) or the front door dressed up either as a clown, an FBI bodyguard or a caterer. It's also worth mentioning here the series' renowned black humour which adds a comic and grounding level to the game; HBM is no exception, and there are plenty of nuggets of character interactions ready to be discovered within the game.

The game is six years old now, but for its time, graphics were great, particular in the case of the Xbox 360 release. The locale, which ranges from a cruise ship on the Mississippi river to a Chilean hacienda and from an abandoned amusement park to a jazzy mansion Xmas party in the Rocky Mountains, provides opportunity for visuals to be pushed to the extremes. And for a game released in 2006, IO Interactive, with their 'Glacier Engine', did a really superb job. It's amazing how much a strong backdrop can heighten likeability of a game, but I feel that this is one of the series' - and HBM in particular - most effective traits. While graphics are continually updated and outdated, the games themselves are not. While the original Super Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog games are still loved and played worldwide, while not quite on the same scale, the Hitman games have a similar timeless quality. Within six years, the gaming industry has changed enormously, with extremely advanced graphics and budgets to allow for cinematic experiences; but games like HBM shine through this, and I personally prefer these older games, where the focus lies primarily on challenging and fun gameplay rather than aesthetics (I will be posting up a review on 'Hitman: Absolution: in the next few weeks, and it will present quite an interesting comparison to HBM). So in a sense, HBM is one of the last of its kind, and even the game's sequel has taken a completely different (and generic) turn, its release albeit six years later.

I heard/read somewhere that 'Hitman: Blood Money' is available online now for free; whether that is the case or not, the game can be purchased for as little as £3.00 these days, and bearing in mind the excellence of the game and the hours upon hours of gameplay, this is a steal if I ever saw one. With the multiple avenues a player may take, the interesting story, the exotic locale and wonderful visuals, the comic elements, the brilliant soundtrack and most importantly, the excellent gameplay, 'Hitman: Blood Money' is a classic. One does not necessarily have had to have played the prequels, but I would recommend you do as they are great too - the four games up to HBM can actually be purchased as part of a collection for as little as £5.00, which is a super-steal if I ever saw one (bearing in mind that the first was only ever released on PC, so this collection is only available on PC). With the direction that the developers are taking the series now with 'Hitman: Absolution', 'Hitman: Blood Money' should be treasured, and while I may be entering the waters of cliché, they just don't make games like these any more.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Great game for older gamers

The Hitman series is one of my favourites. It is extremely fun and there are tons of ways to complete a mission. Seeing the trailers for Blood Money I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed and well I wasn't. Hitman Blood Money is the best in the series even better than the superb Hitman: Silent Assassin. It has many improvements that improve on an already solid foundation.

You play as Agent 47 a hitman and carry out hits that your agency tells you. There are quite a few levels and you go to a variety of places, such as the Mardi Gras parade and some place in Mississipi. The plot is good and it has a few very interesting twists.

The graphics in "Blood Money" are superb. They look amazing for their time. All the guns and equipment look great. The environment is looks spectacular as well. It was great to see the Mardi Gras parade and see the massive amounts of partiers. You can see the developers paid close attention to the visuals in this game.

The gameplay is the most important part in the game. A game can have all the pretty graphics in the world but gameplay is still king. While the graphics in Blood money are great, the gameplay is even better. Eidios improved the already great gameplay and made it easier. In the previous Hitman games, whenever you got near an enemy they would suspect you're an assassin and start shooting you like maniacs. That has all been changed in Blood Money. Guards and enemies are more patient and less troublesome and they won't shoot you unless you're doing something really stupid. There are lots of ways to kill enemies. You can strangle them, just flat out shoot them, you can even drop pianos on them (sometimes) and so on. You can shoot your way through the mission but it's more satisfying to plan your attacks and kill your prey silently and not hurt civilians. Another returning gameplay element is disguising yourself as the enemy. That means you could take the clothes of fallen foes and go around as them. Something new to the game is the notoriety system. Another new feature is that you can dispose of your enemies. You can hide their bodies in things such as dumpsters and other things. What makes the gameplay even better is the music. It is absolutely great and creates a great atmosphere.

Hitman: Blood Money is a great game that fans of the series and people who like violent games should check out. Blood Money is the best of the Hitman series and one of my favourite games.

*Note: This is just a game and should not be taken seriously. It is not recommended for kids because it is extremely violent and it has mature subject matter.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Agent 47 makes a striking return in the best game of the Hitman series to date.

'Hitman: Blood Money' is the third instalment of the highly successful Hitman series by IO Interactive. Greatly improved since the previous iteration, the varied levels and layered gameplay make this outing with Agent 47 one which is both explosive and memorable.

For those not familiar with the game concept, 'Blood Money' is a stealth-action game where you assume the role of Agent 47, a hired contract killer who travels the world eliminating whoever he is told to by 'The Agency', an assassin corporation. His aim is to eliminate the main targets and the main targets alone, so as to be a truly silent assassin. For perfecting assassinations, he receives more money per hit, so he has to work with the environment he finds himself in to be a successful contract killer.

The concept itself has changed little since the series' inception, and this is to its merit. It is a greatly engrossing model which will have you approaching the same level in countless manners simply to attempt the perfect kill. With a variety of different difficulties, the game is also suited to all levels of gamers. On lower levels, being witnessed is not much of a problem, and guards will tend to turn a blind eye to most conspicuous actions whereas the difficulty hikes as you rise up to 'Professional' and beyond, with the AI a lot more intuitive than before.

Of course, a game such as this would be a total failure without a compelling story to match the great concept. Luckily, the developers have nailed the story perfectly. Not only is it the most story-oriented Hitman title to date, but it also possesses some of the most ingenious and refreshing levels ever seen in a game. One level of note has you infiltrating a French opera house as a production of Tosca is being practised. Your mission? To eliminate not only the protagonist of the play itself (who faces a firing squad...), but also a wealthy entrepreneur who watches from his deluxe box. Such interesting environments are abundant in the game, with other levels seeing you infiltrate a casino and a hotel, leaving the game feeling unique and ever-fresh. The developers also shrewdly made the targets very loathsome, including sex and drug traffickers, so you don't think twice when you begin a mission.

Not only are the design choices impressive, but they are executed wonderfully. Textures in the game are great and the sites themselves are beautifully detailed. Cut-scenes offer the most impressive aesthetics in the game, though in-play you'll be taken aback by the staggering level of detail. Whether it's the wonderfully detailed character models, with 47's tie even swaying as he sprints, or the varied environments ranging from lush greenery to building interiors, the game is a delight in presentation terms. This aesthetic brilliance is matched by expert audio. Not only are the sound effects all spot on, with gunshots all sounding unique to their respective guns, but the voice acting of both 47 and the surrounding AI is very impressive indeed. Weaved into this are a range of excellent orchestral soundtracks created exclusively for the game, giving you the feeling that you're playing in your very own Holywood epic.

Nevertheless, the game truly excels in its unique and intuitive gameplay elements, with a host of improvements having made the game even more comprehensive than before. Menus have been greatly improved to ease the transition between pre-game information and the missions themselves, with a lengthy backstory read to the player prior to every mission. The screens themselves are slick and modern, resembling a portable PC which is carried by 47, and offer all the information you need to know about the targets and the mission ahead.

Once you enter the thick of the game, you'll notice that the HUD is pleasingly simple. Two vertical bars are found to the bottom-left of the screen representing both Health and Suspicion, with the former depleting as you are attacked and the latter increasing as guards become suspicious of your intentions. Both work very well in the game and are pleasingly easy to see at-a-glance, so you know when to stop running or when you need a new disguise.

As you'll be performing a range of different actions in-game, including picking up and relinquishing weaponry, a simple interface was needed to aid the player. Not only are such functions given a controller configuration on the face buttons of the controller, but hugging the top-left is a clever button interface which is integral to the game mechanics. Showing the Triangle, Circle and X buttons, a prompt appears when you approach an item needing interaction. Approach a door and a prompt saying 'open door' appears next to X; likewise, approach a weapon and a Triangle prompt appears telling you that you can pick it up. This not only eases new players into the game by highlighting the controls to them early on, but proves essential when you need to plant bombs in a specific place, and the prompt lets you know when you've reached the destination. Few games sport such a slick interface, and in Hitman it is expertly executed.

Most impressively of all, this game essentially offers free-reign about how you approach a mission. Of course, it is not a sandbox game, but it does share many elements of this genre. Though you have set objectives, you can approach them in any order and you can navigate to any corner of the very extensive game maps to execute your targets. To this end, the developers shrewdly introduced new ways to achieve your objectives: the best of the bunch being the 'accident' assassinations. Essentially, these have you booby-trapping oft-used areas in the environments, such as placing a bomb on a chandelier peering over a target. These kills are the best for stealth, allowing you to leave the level with the highest rating, and make you approach the levels in a new way every time.

The possibilities are almost endless. Your arsenal not only contains an extensive catalogue of heavy weaponry (which itself has a comprehensive upgrade system) but also more stealthy objects like fibre-wire and sedative/poison syringes. Let's put the ideas into context. You're at a wedding party, armed to the teeth. You can steal a guest's gift as they turn away and place a bomb within it; or you can steal the clothes of a sleeping guard and infiltrate the mansion itself. What's more, you could even poison the cake with your syringe, and go the silent way to the assassination. The ball is well and truly in your court, and makes for an engrossing experience.

Every way you approach the game will have a different outcome: guards will react differently in each instance, some approaches will be harder to execute than others and some will leave you with a silent assassin rating and others with the lowly 'butcher' tag. Moreover, the new notoriety system and focus on cash accumulation weaves into the fibre of the game well. If you're caught on camera, your notoriety rises, and you'll either have to brave the more suspicious guards or hunt down the tape and recover it. Approach a level well and you'll earn more money to spend on upgrades and intel; go in like a bull in a china shop and you'll have to pay the Agency to clean up behind you and make witnesses 'disappear'. The extensive thought behind this game means that you will hatch plans long before you approach the level, bringing in an unprecedented level of concentration and planning to the game.

With 13 levels in total and each one taking between thirty minutes and an hour to complete, this game has great longevity, and this is before you re-play on the higher difficulty levels. This is one of those games that you'll be hard pressed to put down and will be picking up again and again months after you've completed it, as it's simply so refreshing and unique.

*Summary*

Agent 47 makes a majestic return in 'Blood Money' with more abilities, more impressive environments to explore and a game concept which remains unrivalled in depth to this day. For fans of stealth and action games, this will not disappoint and will keep you entertained for months on end. Highly recommended.

The game can be snapped up for the low-low price of £2.73 on Amazon marketplace.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

This isn't good enough.

I'd say to begin with, that the game is fun to play through. It's darker, and more violent than ever, but it has some gaping flaws that ruin the experience. The biggest of those are the A.I. When you get used to the guards animations, it's so easy to manipulate them. EG, throw a coin by their side, wait a few seconds for them to look both ways, then throw another coin, and the animation repeats, and so on. You can literally run circles around them and they'll ignore you, and you can run through restricted areas and hide in a closet quickly and eventually they'll walk off. The game is quite short, with a stupid ending, and the 'accident' system, although a nice touch, has minimal detail, and repeats the same articles for every Silent Assassin rating you get.

There's a decent customisation system in place for a total of 5 weapons, there's more outfits than ever to dress up in, and you get a sense of closure once the final credits roll. These merely paper over the cracks. The game engine itself needs to be dropped for a more technical system, and considering that the original introduced ragdoll physics, there's no reason why the physics are so awful in this game. They should be amazing.

For fans of the series, it's hard to accept that this game is relatively poor. Hitman 2 is the series highlight so far, and when Hitman 5 is announced, it absolutely has to get back on track.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Lots of room for improvement but a corker nonetheless

It seems that each installment of the Hitman series just gets better than the one before it. It's got a saucy premise, involving a biologically engineered Hitman who has a series of clones that have a tag on the back of their heads, just like him. This is a game that isn't just about blood and guts (despite its title), and actually cares about the premise. You, as Agent 47, are now on the run, being hunted by just about everybody with a weapon!

This game looks very good for its time - the varied locales are well rendered and the model of Agent 47 is realised in a more menacing and scary way than ever before! The ragdoll physics, which attempt to make the movements of all of the models seem realistic, are spot on also.

From a gameplay perspective, they've really piled on the surprises this time - there are so many accessible ways to complete a mission that there's no more running aimlessly whilst you figure out which parts of the scenery you're able to use when you'd like to be able to use them all! You can spring dangerous death traps for enemies, then hide their bodies and take their clothes. Of course, there are still improvements that could be made, such as simply offering even more variety, but the promise of a fifth game in works means they will hopefully rectify this. Also, the AI's still pretty daft - they'll raise the alarm sometimes when they have no good reason to suspect you, and other times they won't see you coming from a mile away in clear view.

Nevertheless, there's enough options here to satisfy even the most ardent sadist, and its refreshing to see a game that cares about the plot as much as it does spraying gore across the screen. This is a very clever game with some unforgettable missions, and I can't wait for the next game!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great game.

Hitman Blood money is an action game for the Playstation 2 developed by Eidos.

The story of Blood money sees the return of everybodys bald cold as ice killer Agent 47 who discovers that in this game his fellow agents are gradually being taken out by another assassin, this game see's you being hired to do various contracts and take out various foes but constantly looking over your shoulder to see if you are going to be taken out too. The plotline is really enjoyable all the way to the finale of the game was excellent.

The gameplay has been evolved, the shooting mechanics are better this time and you can enter a first person mode to take better aim, as you progress through the games levels you can tackle them all guns blazing (there is even upgradable weapons this time around) but if you do you are really missing the point of this game, good that you actually can though!

The way to play is like a stealthy Hitman, you will hide from foes, disguise yourself as various enemies to get by un noticed and set up the scene perfectly so that when your target goes down nobody will even expect an assassination has just occurred merely an accident. After each level you get to read the newspaper which will show you how successful you were and it is really satisfying to complete a level perfectly. If you don't there are consequences and as you progress people will regonise you and raise the alarm!

The game is quite difficult so if you are new to the series you may want to play on the Rookie setting as then it doesn't matter if you are spotted, nobody will recognise you later on which keeps the challenge down.

Graphics are reasonably good, the environments are quite impressive as some levels have quite a large number of people in them.

Hitman offers unique stealth action gameplay that if you can get into it, is really satisfying to play.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Brilliant game

Hitman blood money is the 3rd instalment of the series. I know that this game was brought out on the PS2 and that was quite a while ago now, but to me it is still one of t best games ever made.

There are a number of objectives and a number of different ways to complete them depending on how you wish to kill your victim.

Whether it be poison of by shooting them, the easier the way to kill often means the harder it is to escape.

For example victim can be shot from a distance but then the noise of the gunshot will alert the police, bodyguards or whoever else is around at the time.

The game starts like most with a tutorial level which allows the player to get to grips with the movement and controls of the game.

As the game progresses it becomes more difficult to complete our mission, often the player may have to resort to changing his disguise.

There are a number of weapons available from twin handguns to sniper rifles, or more discreet weapons like chicken wire and syringes.

The only real bad point is that the levels, compared to modern games seem very confined; there is one particular level where you are confined to a street. Don't let this put you off though as all the other levels clearly make up for it.

This is a great game and they really should bring a new hitman out for the latest consoles, whether it is a new game entirely or just a remake, I'm sure all hitman fans would love it

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

Overall a very fun game, incredible graphics but some may find it easy to complete

Hitman is back and he's better than ever!It looks as if the Agent 47 we all know and love has been back into training and returned with a bigger and better array of skills!

The game in itself has developed immensely. You now have several new ability's such as climbing (up ladders and rigging), balancing off ledges, jumping from balconies and hiding in wardrobes.

In addition to that you can cause diversions by switching off lights allowing you to sneak through a crowded hallways or throwing coins to create a noise. You can also throw knives at enemies and use them as hostages for a human shield!

The best way to complete the missions is by making things look like accidents, meaning it wasn't you who pushed the guard from the balcony; he merely tripped and fell to his convenient death or committed suicide! And for the times it isn't possible to cause accidents you could always drag the bodies into a bin or freezer to hide them.

The key to success is to cover your tracks and avoid being detected by the CCTV cameras, which are a new feature to the game. Enemies are also far more intelligent than in the previous games. Instead of ignoring the blood trail leading down the hall to where you have just hidden a body, they will go and investigate and raise the alarm, as they will do to suspicious objects or noises...or even if you are disguised as a worker but aren't carrying your toolkit!

The Hitman games are never short of colourful characters and this one is no exception. There is a wide array of characters from guards dressed as chickens to Chinese gangsters.

The settings are just as colourful as the characters, with a much higher attention to details. There are also many more potential "witnesses" to your actions as many of the missions are based in public places and gatherings such as weddings, parades, dinner parties and boat cruises.

The only downside to the game that I can think of is the fact it is quite easy to complete making it not very long compared to its predecessors.

Overall I'd say this game is by far the best in the Hitman series. The graphics are a lot better and there is a much more intricate feel to them. The colours are bright and vibrant and there are no "cardboard cut-out" settings you get with some games.The new skills you have as Agent 47 make moving around and sneaking a lot more fun, instead of walking around a hotel you could jump from balcony to balcony.The new killing techniques are very fun aswell, like reaching down from above the elevator to fibrewire your target or even disarming them and killing them with their own gun!

The storylines are exciting and as with the other games can be played over and over as they are never the same the second.... or third time round!This game is truly addictive and one I'd advise anyone to buy!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A great game and it's a bit different to GTA etc . Worth a look

Hitman: Blood money is the 4th game in the trilogy. It's both fun and creative. Stepping into the shoes of bald headed assassin Agent 47 once again, he now discovers that him and his agency are in danger from a mysterious rival agency.As he completes his own jobs, he learns more and more about the mysterious competition and finally lead up to a conclusion. It's a very dark story. Most of the missions take place take place in America and each mission has its own unique features and environments and are very alive. The one mission that stands out the most is where you travel to a Mardi Gras celebration and the streets are absolutely filled with people partying on the streets. Every place is also filled with guards so it toughens the situation(although the A.I is pretty stupid at times). Every target you kill gets harder within each mission. It's not just shooting, it requires some thinking and planning. The best part is, it's very open to what you want to do to your target. Unlike other games, it doesn't force you to use a method to kill the target. You can use lots of ways to get to kill your target. For example, you can dress up to sneak into restricted areas, distract guards, just plain snipe him if you are ready and clear, or just shoot everybody ( which i don't recommend because you will get killed in the first 2 seconds doing that ). So basically, you have to use brains, stealth, and sneakiness. So if your the one who just likes shooting people, this game is not the right one for you. Graphics are pretty good in terms of mission design because most of the environments are very detailed. The sound makes every level lively. In all it's not a easy game but it's still a very smart, well crafted, and fun game to play!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

An amazing game

The real beauty of all of the hitman games, but especially "Blood Money" is the glorious way that you can replay levels over and over again, killing your targets in ever increasingly different ways. The changes in outfits keep it entertaining, and nothing gives you more of a thrill than pushing you target off a balcony then quickly pressing yourself into a cupboard as the guards begin to search for you. The choice of weapons and methods is amazing, and a major improvement is the new "accidental kill" mode, allowing you to make your hits look like unfortunate accidents. Careful use of this mode will allow you to achieve the ever elusive "Silent Assasin" rating in ever more entertaining ways.

The major drawback of the game is the occasional clumsyness that agent 47 experiences. Nothing is more frustrating than being unable to successfully fibrewire your target, you are discovered and must begin from the last place you saved. However, this is a minor flaw that is easily overcome with practice and getting used to the controls.

In conclusion, easily my favourite game of the last couple of years, and definetely worth the paltry sum amazon are asking for it.

HistoryEdios, any gamer who knows his stuff will know that this publisher is really well know through out the gaming industry, they have produced some very well know games in the industry Tomb Raider was probably their biggest seller with millions everywhere addicted to the very sensual and adventurous Lara croft the game was such a big hit that there was movies made about her adventures other games include Championship Manager 2007, Reservoir Dogs, and The well known Hit man Series.

The first Hit man game was produced by Edios in 2002, and was a massive hit here in the UK and in the USA with millions of people worldwide buying it, it was an exciting game that was different form the rest, a game based around a hit man, the unknown land of the underworld that only certain people explored, got put into a game that allowed the whole world to venture into a hit mans world.

The StoryIn hit man the tale is that you are agent 47 a highly trained hit man that is search for this lost past, he wants to find his true identity, but gets tangled up by this underworld connections and losing control of his main aim and becomes a master of his old trade again killing. As you progress through the series you identify that hitman has grown and is still searching for this lost past but carrying out contracts to survive. The latest game blood money takes you to a whole different level of play with a wider range of options to choose from within the game. I got lost in the plot because the interactivity is amazing making you feel like a real hit man and carrying out real life contracts on people.

The ControlsThe controls are basic for hitman L2 allows you to view your map of the latest contract, L1 allows you to crouch or sneak which comes in very handy in this game, R2 allows you to reload weapon. R1 allows you to fire and use your weapon and also carry out close combat. I find having R1 as a firing button helps a lot because it allows you to feel like you are pressing the trigger when firing.Triangle-Tap-Drop item/ exit mapSquare-Tap- Holster/ Unholster Hold-Open inventory Release- Close Inventory

The Game playThere are many types of game play in hitman, but the main one is stealth. I have noticed that in all the hitman series this game blood money is probably the most interactive of them all, allowing for the perfect hit to be carried out on the target and for the contract.

Blood money is a very different and a big step in the hitman series, it allows the gamer to really interact with agent 47 and move how you would in real life, also the way that you carry out the kill effects the end result of the contract and how much money you receive to upgrade your weapons.

Upgrading weapons is a brilliant idea by edios and IO interactive, it allows you to customise the weapons to your advantage and to your suited taste. At fixed cost and as you progress through the game the weapon upgrades become better but with a bigger price tag like in real life. The upgrades that you choose also effect the weight of the gun and easier it is to fire rapidly.

The weapon choices on hitman are wide also you can collect guns from your victims so you can build an arson of collected guns and also build the guns that are given to you at the beginning of the game to your taste also from the money, that you have earned from the contracts, I found it good that this encourages you to carry out the contract as a real hitman would and kill more silently in disguises.

You dont just upgrade weapons though you can upgrade things like how quickly you can pick a lock by requiring tools, bullet proof vest and how much damage they absorb, painkillers and how effective they are, accessories like an undetectable rifle case so you can be searched and not get caught with it.

The games AI is effected by the level of difficulty you choose at the beginning of the game, rookie the level of the AI is very low, with unlimited amount of saves. Normal the AI are of normal intelligence and you have a maximum of 7 saves per contract. Pro you allowed 3 saves per contract and the AI are very intelligent. Expert the AI are at the games limit on intelligence and you arent allowed any saves per contract which make the game even more real.

The contracts are all very similar just kill the required target, get any important information if needed and escape, but I find that this isnt repetitive at all. My reasons for this are that you have so many different options on how to carry out a kill with a variety of ways, planting bombs, poisoning food or drink, pushing off rails, shooting them with you silenced, laser aim magnum, injecting them and even strangling them. How ever you carry out the contract effects the money you receive at the end.

The great thing about this new edition to the hitman series is that it allows you more freedom with movement and how to carry out a required hit. In all the other hitmans you couldnt drag the body of a killed victim and hide them in a storage contain on the level or push them in the sea, or feed them to crocodiles and another great feature is if you are caught on camera you must steal the video tape to avoid being caught which is why I love how the game make you fell like you are actually carrying out the hit yourself. The whole interactivity of this game is on a level on its own.

You can also use distractions in this game to get a victim into the required spot that you would like them to be in, by throwing a coin in a certain place so the victim goes to the area where they heard the sound, by turning off the light switch so the victim goes and turns in back on while you steal something or slip past him silently.

The aiming of the weapons on this game can we carried out in different ways you can either have it as first person or third person. Both are very effective, it just depends on the gamer and what they pick. I prefer third person, but first when I am using the w400 sniper with high precision zoom to carry out a long distance target hit, but thats just what I prefer.

Notoriety level, this has a big effect on your next contract and how much money you are given. If you are caught on camera on a contract and you dont collect the video tape then your notoriety level goes up and you become more noticeable if you dont get it down. You are able to get it down by either retrieving the video tape or by bribing either the civilians, the police or paying for a new identity. These all come at costs though. £50,000 for bribing civilians, £100,000 for bribing police and £200,000 for getting a new identity.

I found that I do now use my guns as often as most gamers do, I tend to only take the modified magnums and maybe the sniper rifle, and leave the rest in the hideout. But as I said before the amount of money you spend on certain guns effects the whole use of them, the reload time, the amount of ammunition you use, the quietness of them, these are all effected by the amount of blood money you spend on them.

Also at the end of each contracted you are given a score sheet of how you did in that certain contract how many kills looked like accidents how many looked like you had killed them whether or not you were caught on camera, how stealthy you were if you used a sedative to require a disguise or if you used your gun or a poison.

The GraphicsThe graphics on this game are literally immense there has been careful detail on each of the characters important or not. The background graphics are also produced to a high standard, with all the atmosphere created to make the game as real as possible. The guns also have a high standard of detail to them showing all modifications clearly.

The cut scenes within the game are also very attractive and are brilliantly detailed with some great features, you can see that the developers and makers of this game have used all of their knowledge and equipment to really make hit man stand out from the rest. I have had experience on playing hitman on both xbox 360 and PS2 and I feel that the xbox 360 does have better graphics which is why it is so expensive with a massive hard drive and a great graphics card which can make the game even more real then it already is.

The deaths of victims are also brilliant depending on the ammunition bought for the gun and how powerful you have made it determines how much blood is splattered over the walls and how far the victim floats before falling to the ground. This is great if you like watching, victims fly in the air while blood splatters all over the walls, and floor.

The SoundI have found that the music within the game is of a varied type and changes with game play, if you are just moving around the level without suspicion, then the level of music is low and doesnt make you as a gamer feel agile or scared, but as you move closer to being caught or your target then the music intensifies and you become more aware and cautious which I think is a good touch.

Another great feature is that when you are hiding away or in zoom mode for the sniper, you can hear the heavy breathing of hitman or the heart beat of when an enemy gets closer towards you as in real life which I think is a great touch and feature of the game.

You also get to hear the sound of when the bullets hit the victim or target, you hear the muffled sound of the bullet hitting the flesh and bone of the virtual target and then coming out the over side, and hitting the wall, with the splash of blood close behind.

Replay ValueI feel that it would take at least 2 days to complete this game at a high standard with high money received, it may sound easy in the reviews and the advertisement but its not there are many obstacles in your way that you must overcome to get to your target unnoticed. Which is the difficult part, I mean we can all kill, but who can make the perfect hit?

Ending CommentsHitman is a very well know game and a loved game all round by the many nations in the world, and I understand why it is a brilliant game with many features to help the gamer interact with the game and use there money or weapons how ever they please, with many ways to carry out a kill or hit on someone, depending on your mood or how profitable you want to make the kill.

Where You Can Buy ItAmazon new £21.98 or used £8.69You can also buy the official strategy guide for £12.34 new or £4.57 used.

Comments

Product Details

Hitman is back and this time he's paid in cold, hard cash. The Blood Money he earns affects his passage through the game and the weapons at his disposal, resulting in a unique gameplay experience for each player